Benefits of the Tour

A Few Great Reasons for Joining the

Salt Lake Christmas Tour!

THE RECORDS

The variety of records to research in the Family History Library is astounding.

There are so many different record types available that I could never list them all. However, there are Probates, Vital Records, Parish Registers, Deeds, Federal and State Censuses and a thousand other kinds of records all just a few feet from where you can sit in the The Family History Library.

Records from all over the world are available to search - old records - and new. Records are added to the collection on a daily basis. Records unattainable six months ago may be on the shelf and waiting for you today! Not only are millions of films available, but thousands of books - books that are non-circulating and can only be used within the library - all available for your research.

When you find your family in one record type in the library, you can quickly move on to other records, locating them all within a matter of minutes.

THE PROFESSIONALS

Professional genealogists will help you every step of the way! The Salt Lake Christmas Tour is known for having the best professionals in the business. These folks work right alongside the attendees - helping them with the rough spots in their research. We're proud of the fact that the Salt Lake Christmas Tour has more professional research staff per attendee than any other tour to Salt Lake City - in addition to your hosts, support staff, Family History Library professionals, and library missionaries. The ratio for the 2011 & 2012 tours was one Christmas Tour professional researcher for every 7.5 attendees. With this level of staffing, there's always a pro available if you need one.

THE HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS

Stay next door and immerse yourself in your genealogy .

The Salt Lake Christmas Tour uses the Salt Lake Plaza Hotel as our tour headquarters. We sleep, eat breakfast, attend classes and have all our "functions" in the hotel. The hotel is just across the alley from the library, so even if it's snowing (which it does occasionally), you can walk to and from the library without spending a lot of time in the cold.

Since we stay so close to the Family History Library, it's very easy to go back and forth between the buildings. As for research time in the library, if you wish, you can get up to 72 hours of time in the library while you're on the tour. The Library hours are from 8 am to 5 pm on Monday, but from Tuesday through Saturday, they operate from 8 am to 9 pm.

GENEALOGY EDUCATION

The Salt Lake Christmas Tour is known for the wealth of genealogy classes taught during the week. Classes actually start on Sunday evening, and feature a question and answer program with tour directors, Leland K. Meitzler, and Donna Potter Phillips. The classes themselves then run all week long.

We are extremely pleased that Thomas MacEntee is again joining us on the 2015 tour. Thomas is a genealogist
specializing in the use of technology and social media to improve genealogical
research and to interact with others in the family history community, He relies upon his 29 years of experience in the information technology
field. And as the creator of GeneaBloggers.com, he has organized and engaged a
community of well over 2,000 bloggers to document their own journeys in the search
for ancestors.

The camaraderie of the group is part of the fun. Attendees at the Salt Lake Christmas Tour come not only to do research in the Family History Library, but many come back year after year to enjoy the fun times with folks that have become their friends. Each morning, everyone gathers around large tables for breakfast, collecting door prizes, and discussing their research problems as well as their successes. On Saturday night, everyone will gather together for a farewell ice cream social.

BRING A COMPANION!

Your non-genealogist spouse will love it. While you research at the Family History Library - enjoying the Salt Lake Christmas Tour research opportunities, your non-genealogist spouse or companion may come along and enjoy the local attractions. Many folks come on the tour with husbands, wives or friends that aren't really into genealogy. Salt Lake City is a great area for activities other than family history. World-class ski resorts are just an hour away. Utah skiing is addictive. Your spouse will want to come back for more!

FIND MORE OF YOUR ANCESTORS!

Finally - You may find more ancestors than ever before. By joining us in Salt Lake City on a Salt Lake Christmas Tour, you will be in the right place - at the right time - to locate more ancestors than may have ever found before.